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I need help!!!

Hello fellow bass players

I've been trying to get into a band for some time now. I have an account on BandMix.com, but I get no takers whatsoever. I've been trying for 2 years to land some auditions or jam sessions but I get no contact from people. Is there something I should be putting in my profile to get people interested? What do you look for when you search for musicians online? What do you avoid? Here's a link to my account, maybe you can help me tweak it.

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Thank you all
 
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I have an account and the one time I was contacted it wasn't for anything I had in my profile.
I've had much better luck with Craigslist. I met and played with a few different guys. Also try facebook. We have a local metal musicians page. Ive seen ads for bassist, but most are further than I care to travel.
As for your profile, it looks similar to mine. The only bit of advice I can give is maybe add a track. Give potential bands something to listen to.
Hope this helps.. Good luck, keep us posted
 
Get yourself involved in the local scene - if there is one :meh: - and meet some people. Show up as a fan, be friendly let people get to know you and if you're a decent guy who's fun to hang out with you'll get what you want.
Bands want people that will put in the time and effort to achieve whatever they consider to be successful so you need to find a way to show these people that you have the time and desire to do the same.
Good luck :) .... and remember a good attitude beats good chops every day of the week.
 
In Philadelphia you could be in a band tomorrow.
I've had a couple of contacts via BandMix but it is only one arrow in your quiver (i.e. - have you tried CraigsList?). Audio and/or video samples couldn't hurt.
( BTW -- "influences _are_ ..." )
Have you thought through what it means to start a band? Do you have a rehearsal space?
Do you want to play covers? Originals? Tribute?
If there isn't a local scene in your genre, you either have the wrong genre or the wrong location.
If there is, that's where (and with who) you should be hanging out.
IME - it's hard to be on the 'situation wanted' side of the scale. If that's where you are, you need to be flexible on what you play.
There almost no opportunities in what I want to play -- so I'm playing something else until I either find or make one of those opportunities.
 
the first thing i noticed that would be a no-contact for me is this "I recently changed my playstyle from punk to post-hardcore/metalcore. I've had a lot of influence from these genres so I'm settling on this as what I want to play..."

i find this very offputting and wouldn't call a musician who put this in their ad. the rest of the bandmix stuff seems pointless to me. the list of gear, the frequency you practice? i don't care and don't want to hear about it, but i realize that's a bandmix thing.

have you considered linking to samples of your playing?

most of my ads to find people to jam with or to form bands were on craigslist. i'm in l.a. and heard from tons of musicians, but while i prefer punk and harder types of metal, i'm open to a lot more styles of music, and heard from people in every genre i can think of. we also have a local facebook musician group that's very active and pretty well-vetted. i wouldn't even think of checking for musicians on bandmix nor do i have an account there.

i also tend not to want to join bands with folks under 21 because some clubs don't want to let them in due to legal annoyances. my buddy was invited to join a then up-and-coming 19 year old singer, and the clubs they did play at had the singer come in different doors or keep track of them. the band couldn't really hang out at the club to support other acts as they wanted to support the singer, who wasn't yet legal drinking age.

meeting people at jam nights is useful, but none around me let under-21 year olds in. our guitar centers have bulletin boards back by the restrooms with listings for bands looking for members.

best of luck finding a band to join or start.
 
I have not heard of any of those bands either.
Perhaps broadening your musical genres of likes will make you more attractive to join a group.
You have to learn to play with others and Joining a group for even music you don't particularly care for will allow you to get the experience you need.
Then you could look for a more specific genre of music you like more.
Don't paint yourself in a corner with your likes.
 
I have a band mix acct with no audio. It just explains I want a no BS business type of situation. I’ve gotten quite a few interested but I never tried any of them. Now my acct says on hold and I still get the occasional contact.
I have no idea what makes people respond. Maybe you have have a semi local newspaper like the music scene with wanted ads...
 
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I have not heard of any of those bands either.
Perhaps broadening your musical genres of likes will make you more attractive to join a group.
You have to learn to play with others and Joining a group for even music you don't particularly care for will allow you to get the experience you need.
Then you could look for a more specific genre of music you like more.
Don't paint yourself in a corner with your likes.


Me personally, when I see a list of songs or bands I figure that’s ALL they can play. I have sometimes been proven correct!
 
the first thing i noticed that would be a no-contact for me is this "I recently changed my playstyle from punk to post-hardcore/metalcore. I've had a lot of influence from these genres so I'm settling on this as what I want to play..."

i find this very offputting and wouldn't call a musician who put this in their ad. the rest of the bandmix stuff seems pointless to me. the list of gear, the frequency you practice? i don't care and don't want to hear about it, but i realize that's a bandmix thing.

have you considered linking to samples of your playing?

most of my ads to find people to jam with or to form bands were on craigslist. i'm in l.a. and heard from tons of musicians, but while i prefer punk and harder types of metal, i'm open to a lot more styles of music, and heard from people in every genre i can think of. we also have a local facebook musician group that's very active and pretty well-vetted. i wouldn't even think of checking for musicians on bandmix nor do i have an account there.

i also tend not to want to join bands with folks under 21 because some clubs don't want to let them in due to legal annoyances. my buddy was invited to join a then up-and-coming 19 year old singer, and the clubs they did play at had the singer come in different doors or keep track of them. the band couldn't really hang out at the club to support other acts as they wanted to support the singer, who wasn't yet legal drinking age.

meeting people at jam nights is useful, but none around me let under-21 year olds in. our guitar centers have bulletin boards back by the restrooms with listings for bands looking for members.

best of luck finding a band to join or start.

She pretty much nailed it there, and said almost everything I thought while reading your ad. The 2 things that jumped out the most were the 20 year old thing, and that first part about changing your play style. I'm not even sure what that really means, and it would be off putting to me.

I'll pile it on a bit, too :)... but my intent is good...

For the style of band you're looking to jump into, your picture is not helpful. IMO. Looks like you're a good looking guy, but that pic makes you look very young and honestly - a bit too harmless for hardcore. I'd take a crapload of pictures and then ask others opinions and find one that gives you just a little more edge. I believe you have what it takes to get a killer picture to post. Even if it were just your face, with no expression. Again... only my opinion on that.

Last, but most importantly, the best way to get out there playing is to be willing to play just about anything - with anyone. You gain experience that way and get to meet lots of people. Getting into a band isn't like getting married. You don't have to be monogamous about it, and you can keep searching for exactly what you want, while playing with others. Your tastes might very well change in time, and you might very well start collaborating with others and coming up with awesome new material.

When my band The Nerve started, I was a punk guy and the other songwriter (the guitarist) came from a Rush tribute band. We couldn't be further apart in what we REALLY wanted to be playing, but we both influenced each other lots. And it turned into an awesome thing.

Hope that helps some. And just in case it sounds like I'm not, I AM on your side :). I like to see people succeed.
 
Sometimes the best (or only) way to find the band you’re looking for is to
put it together yourself. I’ve had to do that a few times. Something to think about.

If you don’t already know enough people you could approach, then you aren’t getting out there enough. That or you just don’t know the local circle of talent well enough. And whether you’re seeking to join - or find fellow joiners - you have to have a good handle on who’s who in your area.

Most times I got a creditable offer to join a band I was approached by someone who had either heard me elsewhere, or heard about me through a mutual acquaintance. Almost everyone I ever approached with a similar offer came recommended from someone I knew whose opinion I respected. I know it’s different now. But I was never into totally “blind dating” when it came to bands. I always wanted more to go on than just some ad copy before I made the first move.

But that’s me. YMMV.
Luck!
 
I believe Joe N. mentioned the young look thing you got going on. As suggested, develop a public look that says you’re seasoned and stage-ready. And set up good lighting, background, etc., for your pics... your bedroom pics scream amateur to working bands.

If it were me, I’d try to avoid pigeon-holing myself in self-advertisement. As others have mentioned, I too have no idea who any of these bands are and would move on without further consideration.

Oh, and I noticed you showed “advanced” for your instrument experience. Well, I suppose everything’s relative, but with only a few years of stroking your bass at home, and I don’t mean to sound rude, you may want to ensure you’re really somewhere near where you say you are. I’m 61 and have been playing actively across a fairly wide spectrum since I was a late teen. Am I advanced? Maybe in age, but man I’ve got so much to learn yet.

Good luck to you, honcho!